1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an abrasive brush for abrading a surface of various materials such as resins, rubbers, metals, ceramics, glass, stones, woods, composite materials, and the like. In particular, the present invention relates to an abrasive brush which is made up of sticks for abrading.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is proposed to use a monofilament which is made of a synthetic resin containing abrasive grains and has a diameter of about 0.1 mm to about 2.0 mm as a stick material of an abrasive brush.
For example, Japanese Patent Kokai Publication Nos. 176304/1986, 234804/1986 and 252075/1986 disclose a stick made of a monofilament which is produced by melt spinning a thermosetting resin containing abrasive grains and optionally further processing the spun monofilament, and a brush having improved stiffness, uniformity, abrasion and durability.
Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 21920/1988 discloses a brush comprising sticks each of which is made of a flat fiber consisting of an all aromatic polyamide layer and an all aromatic polyamide layer containing inorganic particles.
Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 232174/1989 discloses a rotating abrasion apparatus comprising a rotating axis and long inorganic fibers such as aluminum fibers which are set by a thermosetting resin with a volume ratio of the fibers being 50 to 81% by volume.
The monofilament of the thermoplastic resin containing the abrasive grains has a limit on the content of the abrasive grains in view of melt spinning. In addition, since the resin is thermoplastic, it sags, the sticks are heavily worn and its abrasion efficiency is not high. Further, the accuracy of the surface abrades with such an abrasive brush is unsatisfactory.
With the rotating brush apparatus of Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 232174/1989, the sticks are comparatively thick due to their forms and their cross sections are not uniform. With such sticks, it is difficult to abrade the material having a curved surface or an intricate surface. In addition, the accuracy of the abraded surface is unsatisfactory.